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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 05 Feb 2008 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Navy Casualties
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• Feb. 4 airpower summary: C-130s provide support for coalition AFPN 05 Feb 2008
• Coalition Forces in Iraq Capture 8 Suspected Terrorists AFPS 05 Feb 2008 -- Coalition forces in Iraq today detained eight suspected terrorists during operations to disrupt al Qaeda networks operating in the northern part of the country, military officials said.
• Gates to Discuss Need to Boost NATO Forces in Afghanistan AFPS 05 Feb 2008 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will discuss the need for more NATO forces in Afghanistan when he attends a defense ministers meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, later this week, a senior Defense Department official said here today.
• UN calls for end to attacks against aid workers assisting vulnerable Afghans UN News Centre 05 Feb 2008 -- United Nations officials in Afghanistan have called for an immediate halt to attacks against aid workers trying to assist vulnerable communities with food, medicine and warm clothing amid recent heavy snowfall and a rise in food prices.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell from the Pentagon 05 Feb 2008 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell
• Army Outlines Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Army News Release 05 Feb 2008 -- The Army announced Feb. 4 the details of its budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, which covers the period from Oct. 1, 2008, through Sept. 30, 2009. The FY 2009 budget request is $140.7 billion.
• Budget Request Funds 43,000 More Soldiers Army News 05 Feb 2008 -- The Army's budget request went forward to Congress Feb. 4 as part of President Bush's fiscal 2009 budget.
• US Lawmakers to Question Pentagon Officials About War Costs VOA 05 Feb 2008 -- In appearances before Congress on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and a top military official are expected to underscore decreased violence in Iraq
• Defense Department Cites Urgent Need for Supplemental Funds AFPS 05 Feb 2008 -- It is imperative for Congress to quickly approve $102.5 billion in fiscal 2008 emergency supplemental funding earmarked to finance the global war on terrorism, a senior Defense Department official said here today.
• Fueling the Air Force arsenal, its people AFPN 05 Feb 2008 -- Airmen and Soldiers living in tent city here are eating well thanks to active-duty and Air National Guard services specialists from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and Kadena Air Base, Japan.
• Deployed AWACS aircrews overcome unique challenge AFPN 05 Feb 2008 -- E-3 Sentry aircrews deployed here in support of Exercise Cope Tiger 2008 performed a quick turnaround and still completed a mission on time Feb. 3.
• Aircraft travels faster than six times the speed of sound AFPN 05 Feb 2008 -- Tests are under way at the Benefield Anechoic Facility here on the X-51 Scramjet-Waverider's antennas to ensure all of the X-51's antennas and communication systems are working properly.
• Air Force claims center proves efficient AFPN 05 Feb 2008 -- One year after opening the Air Force Claims Service Center near Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Air Force leaders are proud to announce its successes in handling legal claims for all Airmen.
• Service still seeking special compensation claimants AFPN 05 Feb 2008 -- The approval rate of claims for Combat-Related Special Compensation is currently running 66 percent, but one-third of the eligible retirees still have not applied for the program.
• Pacific Lifeline aerial porters keep mission moving AFPN 05 Feb 2008 -- Logistics planners deployed to Hawaii to participate in the Pacific Lifeline exercise running now through Feb. 9 have been working nonstop to ensure every moving piece of equipment, aircraft and people move smoothly through the airflow system.
• Guard Eyes Pacific for Expanding State Partnership Program AFPS 05 Feb 2008 -- Following successes in Europe, South and Central America, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa, the National Guard's State Partnership Program is expanding in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Army Vice Chief of Staff Announcement Army News Release 05 Feb 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today, Feb. 5, the nomination of Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno as the next Vice Chief of Staff of the Army. Gen. Richard A. Cody will remain the Army Vice Chief of Staff through mid to late summer.
• Aviation Leaders Gather at Rucker for Conference Army News 05 Feb 2008 -- Active and retired Army leaders from around the globe came together at Fort Rucker this week to discuss the health of Army Aviation and how they can work together to keep the branch strong far into the future during the 2008 Army Aviation Senior Leaders Conference.
• Ohio Guard First to Receive Bio Detection System Army News 05 Feb 2008 -- Soldiers from the 637th Chemical Company gathered Jan. 12 to display and demonstrate their newest weapon in the fight against terrorism - the Joint Biological Point Detection System.
• DESRON 26 Changes Command Navy NewsStand 05 Feb 2008 -- Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26 held a change of command ceremony while in port Jebel Ali, Jan. 29.
• SMART Training Equals Smart Riding Navy NewsStand 05 Feb 2008
• USS Benfold Receives First Install of Shipboard Protection System Navy NewsStand 05 Feb 2008 -- USS Benfold (DDG 65) emerged from its 2008 Chief of Naval Operations selected repair availability Jan. 30, equipped with the new Shipboard Protection System (SPS).
• Six DESRON 15 Commands Receive Retention Excellence Awards Navy NewsStand 05 Feb 2008 -- Six commands from commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 were awarded the retention excellence award for achieving Navywide goals in retention and attrition rates, Jan. 31.
• Rice Heads to London for Talks on NATO's Afghan Role VOA 04 Feb 2008 -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice flies to London Tuesday for talks with top British officials on an escalating row within NATO over troop levels in Afghanistan
• Defense Department Stocks Shelves with Newest Smallpox Vaccine AFPS 05 Feb 2008 -- The Defense Department has begun its transition to the next generation of smallpox vaccine.
• Bush requests $720 mln for missile defense in Europe RIA Novosti 05 Feb 2008 -- In his 2009 FY budget proposal, U.S. President George W. Bush requested $719.8 million to deploy elements of the U.S. missile shield in Europe.
• Russia, Venezuela may sign $1.4 bln contract for three subs in April RIA Novosti 05 Feb 2008 -- Russia and Venezuela are at the final stage of talks on a deal to sell three Kilo-Class Project 636 submarines to Venezuela's Navy, which could be clinched in April, Vedomosti business daily said Tuesday.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 05 Feb 2008
• Press Briefing by Dana Perino The White House 05 Feb 2008

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 04, 2008
• INDIAN HAWK CREATES HISTORY BAE Systems 05 Feb 2008 -- Yesterday, a BAE Systems Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) destined for the Indian Air Force, became the first ever Hawk aircraft to make its maiden flight from the Brough site.
• Northrop Grumman Taps Long Island Company to Begin Production of First F/A-18F Super Hornet for Royal Australian Air Force Northrop Grumman 05 Feb 2008 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has begun production of major structural components for the first F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighter aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
• Northrop Grumman Wins Phase 2 of Defense Department's Solid-State Advanced Track Illuminator Laser Development Contract Northrop Grumman 05 Feb 2008 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has received a Missile Defense Agency (MDA) contract for the second phase of a five-and-a-half year program to develop the Advanced Track Illuminator Laser, or ATILL -- a six-kilowatt-class, solid-state, pulsed laser with excellent beam quality for advanced MDA missions.
• Raytheon Completes Second Successful Engine Test of Joint Standoff Weapon Extended Range Raytheon 05 Feb 2008 -- The Joint Standoff Weapon Extended Range missile moved one step closer to powered flight testing when Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) successfully conducted a second ground test of the JSOW-ER engine at the facility of Hamilton Sundstrand, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company, late last year.

Other Conflicts

• UN's top rights chief urges protection of civilians in war-torn Chad UN News Centre 05 Feb 2008 -- As civilians continue to flee fighting between rebels and government forces in Chad, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights today called on both sides to protect those caught in the crossfire.
• Aid Agencies Say Thousands Fleeing Chad Capital VOA 05 Feb 2008 -- The U.N. refugee agency reports about 20,000 civilians have fled fighting in N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, and crossed the river into the Cameroon border town of Kousseri.
• Chad Government Declares Victory Over Rebels; France Warns it Will Use Force VOA 05 Feb 2008 -- Rebel leaders in Chad are giving conflicting statements about a possible cease-fire, while Chad's government is declaring victory after rebels failed to take the capital N'Djamena in last week's fighting
• Chad authorities say rebels defeated, but deny ceasefire reports RIA Novosti 05 Feb 2008 -- Reports emerged on Tuesday saying Chadian rebels had agreed on a ceasefire to end three days of hostilities, but authorities insisted they had defeated the insurgents with no such deal reached.
• CHAD: Foreign minister pleads for international intervention IRIN 05 Feb 2008 -- In an exclusive IRIN interview, Chad's foreign minister Ahmat Allam-mi warns of a "catastrophic situation" in Central Africa unless the international community intervenes to help Chad stop the rebels who are currently surrounding the country's capital N'djamena.
• Israeli Forces Kill 9 Hamas Militants in Gaza VOA 05 Feb 2008 -- Gaza militants launched over 15 rockets today, wounding at least five Israelis in town of Sderot
• Israel Beefs Up Security After Suicide Bombing VOA 05 Feb 2008 -- Israeli security forces are on high alert after the first suicide bombing in a year, which took place Monday in southern Israel
• ISRAEL-OPT: EU changes aid mechanism to support development IRIN 05 Feb 2008 -- The European Union (EU) experiment to give aid to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank is coming to an end, to be replaced by another first-time mechanism.
• Worsening security hampering relief effort in Somalia, says UN UN News Centre 05 Feb 2008 -- Efforts to help Somalis who have been forced to flee their homes due to the violence engulfing their nation have never been as restricted as they are now, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today.
• Ban Ki-moon to send top UN humanitarian official to Kenya UN News Centre 05 Feb 2008 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced plans to dispatch his top humanitarian official to Kenya, where more than 300,000 people have been forced to flee their homes due to violence which has torn through the East African nation following last December's disputed elections.
• Secretary-General calls for more resources for Darfur peacekeeping mission UN News Centre 05 Feb 2008 -- With the crisis in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region continuing, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appealed for more troops and vital equipment to support the critically under-strength joint UN-African Union force (UNAMID) stem the violence.
• With fuel stocks restricted, UN mission prepares to relocate from Eritrea UN News Centre 05 Feb 2008 -- The United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) is moving to relocate as fuel stocks dwindle because of restrictions imposed by the Asmara Government, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.
• SOMALIA: Two million face humanitarian crisis, warn agencies IRIN 05 Feb 2008 -- An estimated two million people in Somalia are facing a humanitarian crisis and need urgent aid, humanitarian agencies have warned.
• KENYA: Violence slowing down humanitarian effort IRIN 05 Feb 2008 -- Roadblocks and violence across much of western Kenya are putting a strain on efforts to assist hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs), according to relief workers.
• SRI LANKA: Claymore mines used to lethal effect IRIN 05 Feb 2008 -- Roadblocks and violence across much of western Kenya are putting a strain on efforts to assist hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs), according to relief workers.
• NEPAL: Thousands of Bhutanese refugees ready to resettle in third countries IRIN 05 Feb 2008 -- The international community is working actively with the Nepalese government to help resettle thousands of Bhutanese refugees in Europe and North America, with the USA alone accepting at least 60,000 refugees, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
• Kosovo: EU Approves Mission As Independence Declaration Nears RFE/RL 05 Feb 2008 -- The European Union has given approval for the deployment of a policing and administrative mission to Kosovo, which will take over the duties now performed by UN officials.
• UN Demands Eritrea Lift Fuel Delivery Restrictions VOA 05 Feb 2008 -- The U.N. Security Council has demanded Eritrea immediately end fuel delivery restrictions that are hampering the U.N. peace-keeping mission on the Eritrea-Ethiopia border.

News Reports

• CIA Director Confirms Use of Waterboarding on Terror Suspects VOA 05 Feb 2008 -- The director of the Central Intelligence Agency has confirmed that his agency used the extreme interrogation technique known as waterboarding on three terrorism suspects nearly five years ago
• Uzbekistan: President's Daughter Takes Another Step Toward 'Throne' RFE/RL 05 Feb 2008 -- Gulnara Karimova has long been seen as a leading candidate to succeed her father, Uzbek President Islam Karimov.
• US Puts New Sanctions on Burma VOA 05 Feb 2008 -- The United States Tuesday imposed additional sanctions against Burma over the military government's human rights violations and suppression of democracy.
• Myanmar: UN rights expert dismayed over continued arrests, detentions UN News Centre 05 Feb 2008 -- Nearly five months after Myanmar's forceful crackdown on peaceful protesters, political and human rights activists continue to be arrested, detained and sentenced to prison, an independent United Nations expert said today.